Suspect arrested after 8 people killed in US

A male suspect was arrested on Sunday after eight people were shot and killed at three separate homes overnight in rural Lincoln County, the southern US state of Mississippi.

The 35-year-old suspect, identified as Willie Cory Godbolt, was taken into custody after the shooting, and may have had a 16-year-old hostage for a time, Xinhua reported.

The names of the victims, including a London County sheriff's deputy, have not yet been released.

The deputy went to a home for a resident wanting the suspect removed from the property before the shooting, according to a Dailyleader report.

Godbolt has a long criminal history, said the report. He was arrested in 2015 for disorderly conduct and failure to comply with request by local police.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said no charges have been filed and it would be "premature" to discuss a motive.

Gov. Phil Bryant urged state residents to pray for the victims. He also made further notice to the "sacrifice" made by the law enforcement personnel to act as a protective shield and serve the communities.